Overall and interesting stout with a twist. I'll admit that I've never had an oyster before, which is probably why I can't put my finger on the strange mineral-like note that's present in this beer. For the price, I'd recommend another oyster stout if possible.

330ml bottle, thanks to the anonymous rep (to me, at least) who left this for we discerning beer vendors. Another of those weird-ass pull-cap enclosures.

This beer pours a very dark chestnut brown, cola-highlighted colour, with two hefty fingers of rocky, foamy beige head, which leaves a complex pattern of chunky, disparate, honeycomb-esque lace around the glass as it evenly sinks away.

The bubbles present as a low-fi burbling effect, the body a middling medium-weight, and smooth enough, I suppose, nothing really screwing with it. It finishes rather dry, the lightly toasted malt, and ethereal salmon smokehouse effect still lingering, some bitter chocolate and sassy weedy hops adding to the offsetting mix.

A quite interesting twist on the Irish Dry Stout trope, wherein the soft, dry roasted malt mainstay is gently nudged by some mild seaside characteristics. Enjoyable, surely, but more for the memory of Eire, than the promise of a current pub session, methinks.

A- Great appearance, very much guinness-like. Black body with some reddish hints if seen through light. Dense, creamy and greatly persistent off-white head, that also leaves tons of dense lacing. Maybe not as big as guinness (a couple of fingers) so this takes away half a point

S- Not much showing through the dense head. Dark malts, a bit of chocolate, a slight roasted hint. On the back of things, some very light kind of salty/metallic sourness if that makes any sense

T- Very much a dry stout. Moderate roastiness, bittersweet notes of dark bread, chocolate, maybe liquorice. On the back of things and in the aftertaste there's a salty, mineral feel that adds a bit of a peculiar character and let's you know this is an oyster stout, though it's mostly a pretty classic dry stout: clean, simple, highly drinkable

M- Super-soft mouthfeel as per style. Very creamy and soft on both tongue and palate, just a slight hint of fine carbonation on the tongue. Nothing impressive (i was expecting just that) but still nice and fitting

O- What you look for in a dry stout are typical stout notes among a soft feel and great drinkabilty. This one has all that plus a bit of a peculiar feel. Nice

330mL bottle from Hop City (Atlanta, GA). 4.29. No discernable bottling date. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Pours a deep golden hued dark brown with a frothy two and a half fingers beige head. A good bit of lace anywhere that the head settles.

Aroma is strange and almost off putting. Sweet and sour malty. Not quite like anything else I've tried.

Taste is just as odd as the nose. Salty cheap bitter cocoa and something I can't identify. I want to say fishy/ oyster but that's most likely because I know it's an oyster stout.

Thin body with sharp carbonation. Long sharp nasty aftertaste. I know it's subjective, but nasty is about as accurate as I can describe.

As my first oyster stout, this proves that I can't unilaterally say that I like stouts. Apologies to anyone upset if I'm not rating "to style" but I just couldn't finish this. To me this was foul, weak, thin and devoid of merit.

sooo good. appearance was dark and rich, like midnight. the smell was decadent with robust malt roasted notes that had a hint of mineral trueness. taste didn't let anyone down, it had deep rich black notes of chocolate and tobacco with a slight finish of a fresh briny mineral note. the mouthfeel was solid and coated the pallet well. overall it was the best.

Overall an impressive beer and seemed true to style. While not in the least an Oyster Stout afficianado, I greatly enjoyed this beer and give it high marks. Slightly on the hoppier end from my taste buds but the mineral qualities seemed right on cue for this style. Will buy again anytime I am in the mood for a saltier sort of beer with good malt and hop qualities. Thanks Ireland and Porterhouse!

Appearance: Very dark brown (and translucent when held up to the light). Thin light brown head.

Aroma: Soy sauce and some malt.

Taste: Light and decently malty. Sort of milky and chalky. There's really not much flavor here so it would pair well with food (i.e. oysters). Dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Between light and medium bodied. Above average carbonation and average drinkability.

Final Thoughts: A little disappointed in how thin and watery this one was. There just wasn't much to taste. Although there is an interesting aftertaste that I can't define. Would I drink it again? Nah.

11.2oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Interesting cap design. Instead of the traditional crown, it's capped with a form-fitting crown that is opened with an odd sardine-can type pull ring. I've never seen anything like this, I wonder if it has any advantages over the traditional crown. No bottling date, so I have no idea how fresh this is. I purchased it from a less-traveled liquor store, so it could be older than I'd like.

A: Pours a translucent black with hues of brown and ruby. the head is large, pillowy, and sandy colored. It has excellent retention, and a thick cap always adorns the beer. A thick veil of lacing coats the entire glass.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied. Very full, creamy, and fluffy in the mouth. Subtle astringency. Mild carbonation lifts the body a bit.

O: There aren't a hell of a lot of oyster stouts on the market. This one is on par with the few that I've had. It could benefit from a bit more depth and malt character, but it's solid enough. It does seem that it would make a great pairing with some oysters.

Pours essentially clear but very dark brown with a smallish light tan head that has moderate retention and lacing.

Aroma and flavor: I have limited experience with oysters, but the unusual aroma and flavor is consistent a significant contribution from what I remember of raw or stewed oysters. Nonetheless, there seems to be a more pronounced flavor component attributable to some spicing (nutmeg?); this makes it seem to me like a "Winter Stout". Slightly more sweet than bitter, especially after some warming, this stout also has a hint of sourness. (T=3.25)

Mouthfeel: near medium bodied; crisp, lively carbonation, and a good bit of dryness in the finish.

A: Pours an extremely dark brown bordering on black in color with some light amounts of visible carbonation near the surface. The beer has a finger tall light beige head that reduces to a thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light aromas of roasted malts with just the lightest hint of ocean/brine.

T: Light to moderate flavors of roasted malts with a light amount of brininess from the oysters.

M: Light bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: This beer is very enjoyable and really easy to drink - I have had this beer numerous times, though this is my first time reviewing it, and will continue to get this beer again. The flavor the oysters add is quite interesting. I love the very interesting opening cap - kind of a nifty.

Review from 5/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a dark brown opaque color with a thin light tan head and light lacing. Aroma of light toasted and caramel malt, dark fruit; earthy. Nice toasty malt with odd, but interesting mineral start. Malt middle and dry finish. Somewhat thin bodied. Interesting and different. Worth a revisit. I worry about the first guy who thought it was a good idea to put oysters in a beer. Guess it worked out though.

Towering two-inch head solidifies and laces in the glass. Very dark red-black body with a look of thinness.

Roasty, tangy, and plummy sweet in the nose. A little salty with some floral hops peeking out.

Strange overall flavor... sweet, malty, with a dash of floral hops. Not as fruity as in the nose, more of a powdered sugar feel to the sweetness. Maybe a touch of the briny. I must add, it's a little too sweet. And the roastiness is more subdued than would be expected in an English stout. Would work a lot better as a drier Dry Stout. I'd hardly assume the oysters in the brew kettle produced this much sweetness.

The feel is very smooth. Delicate with mild effervescence.

I'm sorry, but it's not much of an Irish Dry Stout. Not dry, at all. The oysters give it some flair, but it's mostly just indescribable flavors, as the label would suggest.

Pours a dark, mahogany brown with very little light penetrating and none getting through. Big head of tan from the pour drops to a solid 1/2" with really good retention. Nice lacing, too.
Smell is toasted malt and wet cardboard with very light notes of hops, vanilla and perhaps pepper.
Taste is burnt toast, malt, whiskey, vanilla, perhaps some evergreen note?. Well balanced and decently complex.
Sadly, the weak area is the body. Somewhat less than medium, watery almost, though pretty smooth. Effervescence is on the light side but appropriate for the style.Drying. Aftertaste is an unusual mix of toast and whiskey with a hint of cherry and juniper. I like it. If the body were fuller I would rate it 4's across the board.

A truly remarkable beer. The oyster presense is not fishy but a bit salty like a true oyster. There is a slight hint of oyster, so much that a non oyster eater would still enjoy the beer. Had this on cast which makes it even better. On a hot day the briney oyster made this just the right beer. The cask was cold for most casks which appeased me on a hot day. The stout minus the oyster is also excellent. In fact, the stout minus the oyster would blow a Guinness away because it is not nearly as off-putting bitter and had great malty chocolate coffee. Put this on your to-do list if you haven't already.

Poured into a shaker: 2 fingers of very porous but stiff head over near black, brown body with chestnut highlights. Head drops to a finger but lasts, leaving splotchy lacing.

Aroma is lightly roast coffee, a little creaminess like warm milk. Somewhat dry & chalky, with a hop character like lemon pudding.

Taste has a somewhat orange soda acidity at first, then in comes some coca, then some dry roast coffee, with a mildly salty character hiding in there. Not sure if I'd sense if if I didn't know it, but there it is.

Moderately acidic mouthfeel at first, medium-bodied, dries out & leaves some bitterness on the palate.

Enjoyable, curious about that salty-ish taste (again, power of suggestion) & exactly what the oysters impart.

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a Dogfish Head Signature glass. Received as an extra from an interesting acquisition. I must first comment on the crazy pull tab cap that's on this one. It's like a key ring and a small weird cap.

A: Pours a deep dark brown color. Aggressive pour leads to a thick one and a half finger latte foam colored head that fades ever so slowly to a thin ring and whispy swirls. Lacing is thick and plentiful.

S: Chocolate, toasted malts are most prominent but I can definitely pick up on the smell of the fresh oysters added during the brew process. It's one that I never thought would go well with beer and it has me incredibly curious as to who the first person was that decided it was a good idea to add oysters to the brew process.

T: Anyway, on to the flavor, follows the nose to a tee. Flavor brings toasted malts up front, followed by an interesting hop bitterness and again, those damn oysters show up again right at the end of the flavor and in a really good way. As it warms, the flavors become more complex and blended in a really nice way.

M; Well carbonated, perfect feel really. Could be thin but it's not, could be overly thick but it's not. Definitely perfect.

O: Totally surprised by my first oyster stout. I love oysters. I love beer. I never ever thought that they would go well together outside of having them at the Ithaca Brute release. Very well done.

Pours a very dark brown, nearly black, with a one finger tan head with decent retention.

Smells of roasted malt along with some dark fruit. A little bit of briny, sea aroma as well.

The flavor is somewhat cola like and some cherries. Burn sugar is present along with a salty, briny flavor that is unique to other beers I have had. A sharp bitterness takes hold right away and gradually increases on the back of the throat that lingers long after the finish.

Overall, I can't say this beer is one of the best I have ever had but it is ok. I don't really care for the cola-like taste or the tannic bitterness. Probably not something I will seek out again.

Pours pretty much jet black with a brownish opaque glow at the edges of the glass. The head is tan and starts at about an inch, then dissipates to a lacing and retains there.

The beer smells mildly of some brown sugar malts and toasty bread, but this is just a whisper in the background. Primarily, its overwhelmingly briny, like olive juice or something else you might pickle something in.

The taste is dry, toasty, a little bit of bread and brown sugar. The end of the taste and the aftertaste brings a salty flavor, but it's not an off flavor. Just different. Leaves a very salty taste in the back of the throat well after drinking.

Body is moderate with light tingles of carbonation throughout.

Overall not bad, but weird. Glad I'm having it and it's not a bad beer, but it's off enough that it's not something I think you could drink a lot of, or would want to. Still, worth seeking out as a novelty if nothing else.